The £65m development of an 80,000 sq ft leisure scheme anchored by The Light cinema in Stockport town centre has been approved by the council.

The project on the site of the Bridgefield Street car park will have a 40,000 sq ft multiplex cinema pre-let to The Light, alongside a 400-space multi-storey car park linking to the Debenhams and Merseyway car parks, creating a total of 1,200 spaces in the vicinity.

There will be 10 ground-floor retail and leisure units fronting a pedestrianised urban realm in Bridgefield Street and links to the wider town centre.

Stockport Council is acting as developer. The project team advising the council includes GVA, Gardiner Theobald, BDP and Lunson Mitchenall.

Construction is expected to start in summer 2015 with the new complex opening in early 2017.

The council is currently inviting potential contractors to fill in pre-qualification questionnaires before a shortlist is progressed to the next stage in March.